I have to admit, I like that Sly seems to have taken the "high road" with this. He's not posing or casting anyone as "the bad guy" as far as I can tell. He's going for pure (even if somewhat manipulated) drama.

And yet the talk of "challenges" other than boxing itself make me wonder where the skill balance will fall. Will the best fighter be assured of winning, or just the one who makes the best hero?

The "Apply Now" link HAS to be for a 2nd season, 'cause the video makes it look like a first season has pretty much been shot, or is at least in the process right now. *(EDIT - Or the truth--a check shows that its a actually due to a lazy webmaster who didn't remove the link. The actual PDF for the app itself has JUNE 15 as the deadline, and implies that the actual production is July/August.)

08-11-2004, 02:53 AM

Krom

An addendum:

Fox's version, The Next Great Champ will arrives long before the seemingly more sophisticated NBC version (Sept 10th vs.... next January, I believe...). The Fox version sounds like such a straight copy, even down to the inclusion of family and/or girlfriends being in the fighter's corner, that you have to wonder if the Burnett/Stallone touch will be enough to counteract simple timing of the shows. And remember, Burnett has had failures too. Did anyone REALLY give a crap about "The Restaurant"?

Then again, just look at the video introductions. Poor Oscar de La Hoya sits there talking about charisma, and yet totally lacks it. Stallone grunts and has more in that one sound than de La Hoya with all the time in the world. And face it... Sugar Ray Leonard? Probably the most charismatic boxer in modern times after Ali, and guess which show HE'S on?

I'm wondering why George Foreman isn't on one of these shows? Too fat? Too many kids named George distracting him? :lol

Of course there are the Olympics to consider. They could make people ignore the Fox show OR gravitate to it. The Olympics HAS boxing in it, after all.